[TelstraClear] Free T-Box for 2 years but only for new customers

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [TelstraClear] Free T-Box for 2 years but only for new customers

lchiu7

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#82326 27-Apr-2011 08:32

So TCL is trying to acquire new customers with their free T-Box offer for two years, but only for new customers. So what does that mean for those of us who were on the fence about the unit? As loyal TCL customers we get screwed again.

I guess I could discontinue service and then re-sign as "new" customer but that seems like way too much trouble.

What do you folks think of their new marketing strategy?

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

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Biddle Corp

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#462861 27-Apr-2011 08:36

I think any deal from any company that favours new customers while doing nothing for existing loyal customers is bad.

riahon

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#462893 27-Apr-2011 09:32

I personally have no problem with it. I struggle to see why we should be 'valued' and 'pampered' and 'bribed' as customers. I believe if you are paying for a product then you see value in the price you paid - if you don't shop elsewhere. Loyalty is a word to describe best mates and dogs - it has no bearing in the business world.

langers1972

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#462897 27-Apr-2011 09:36

I am thinking of going over to TCL after a bit of a doozy with Telecom charging me for a reconnection that took 2 days but am put off by the issues with TBox.

What are the opinions of it now after an initial nightmare of a release, are the bugs still around?

I have worked out that I'd pay about the same for TCL as my current Telecom/Sky setup plus get 20Gb data instead of 5Gb with Telecom so just need reassurance that I'm not buying Betamax instead of VHS ;)

TelstraClear

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#462915 27-Apr-2011 10:23

Hi Guys,
Existing TelstraClear customers can get two years free t-box monthly rental. They simply need to have one of our eligible packages and pay a $299 activation charge ($199 if they have T-Box already). Eligible packages are a) Broadband (20GB+) and TelstraClear TV or b) Broadband (40GB+) and TelstraClear TV or c) PhoneLine, Kiwi 100 Yak Pak, International Yak Pak and TelstraClear TV.
Thanks

lchiu7

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#462920 27-Apr-2011 10:32

TelstraClear: Hi Guys,
Existing TelstraClear customers can get two years free t-box monthly rental. They simply need to have one of our eligible packages and pay a $299 activation charge ($199 if they have T-Box already). Eligible packages are a) Broadband (20GB+) and TelstraClear TV or b) Broadband (40GB+) and TelstraClear TV or c) PhoneLine, Kiwi 100 Yak Pak, International Yak Pak and TelstraClear TV.
Thanks

That comes out at about $12.50/month. Now when I had to go from analogue to digital on my second box I was told I could go T-Box with no installation fee and a monthly rental of $15. So it's hardly free and once again disadvantages existing customers in favour of new ones who pay no fees and free installation. Unless I am reading this incorrectly.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

valtam

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#462921 27-Apr-2011 10:32

sbiddle: I think any deal from any company that favours new customers while doing nothing for existing loyal customers is bad.

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lchiu7

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#462922 27-Apr-2011 10:34

riahon: I personally have no problem with it. I struggle to see why we should be 'valued' and 'pampered' and 'bribed' as customers. I believe if you are paying for a product then you see value in the price you paid - if you don't shop elsewhere. Loyalty is a word to describe best mates and dogs - it has no bearing in the business world.

Then clearly you have no experience at all with customer loyalty programmes. This is the backbone of customer relations - certainly work hard to acquire new customers but treat your existing customer base well since they are the ones who keep you in business.

Otherwise why so many customer loyalty programmes like

Frequent Flier
Fly Buys

etc.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

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langers1972

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#462924 27-Apr-2011 10:34

TelstraClear: Hi Guys,
Existing TelstraClear customers can get two years free t-box monthly rental. They simply need to have one of our eligible packages and pay a $299 activation charge ($199 if they have T-Box already). Eligible packages are a) Broadband (20GB+) and TelstraClear TV or b) Broadband (40GB+) and TelstraClear TV or c) PhoneLine, Kiwi 100 Yak Pak, International Yak Pak and TelstraClear TV.
Thanks

$14.95 for 24 months is $360ish, so you are saying 'pay us $299 and save $360' or $60 in real terms. Not such a great deal is it?

BarTender

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#463052 27-Apr-2011 15:41

langers1972: I am thinking of going over to TCL after a bit of a doozy with Telecom charging me for a reconnection that took 2 days but am put off by the issues with TBox.

What are the opinions of it now after an initial nightmare of a release, are the bugs still around?

I have worked out that I'd pay about the same for TCL as my current Telecom/Sky setup plus get 20Gb data instead of 5Gb with Telecom so just need reassurance that I'm not buying Betamax instead of VHS ;)

I would recommend you read through this forum if you believe waiting 2 days for a reconnection. With TCL it can sometimes be more like two weeks.

And there are still ongoing issues with the boxes as this forum will also show.

I have personally found TCL's internet reasonable for the last 4+ years I have been with them. But am dropping all three and moving to Telecom + Sky for various reasons (Telecom being cheaper for me, and not liking the TBox and prefering the MySky option). When I rang them up they didn't seem to mind... So off I go.

langers1972

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#463054 27-Apr-2011 15:46

Yeah, the more I read the less confident I am especially locking into a 24 month contract.

I have managed to convince Telecom to refund my $60 reconnection fee so am not quite as angry as I was this morning!

TelstraClear

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#463080 27-Apr-2011 17:04

Hi guys

We need to balance the need to make our products commercially viable with our desire to give our customers the best deal we can.

Consider the alternatives:

Most Freeview capable digital television recorders only have two tuners. You pay between $549 and $1499.99 (see http://www.freeviewnz.tv/products_and_retailers/listing/all/digital_television_recorders) You’ll get a 12 month warranty and you’ll need to check if an aerial is required to receive the UHF signal. If an aerial is required, you’re looking at another $250 or so for someone to come out and install an aerial for you.

TelstraClear T-Box with Freeview|HD has three tuners, giving you much better recording functionality. You pay either $299 or $199 upfront install cost depending on your situation plus $14.95 per month rental. You don’t require an aerial and if anything goes wrong we’ll come to you and repair the T-Box, for as long as you’re a customer of ours, whether that’s 12 months or 12 years.

Thanks

riahon

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#463091 27-Apr-2011 17:50

lchiu7:
riahon: I personally have no problem with it. I struggle to see why we should be 'valued' and 'pampered' and 'bribed' as customers. I believe if you are paying for a product then you see value in the price you paid - if you don't shop elsewhere. Loyalty is a word to describe best mates and dogs - it has no bearing in the business world.

Then clearly you have no experience at all with customer loyalty programmes. This is the backbone of customer relations - certainly work hard to acquire new customers but treat your existing customer base well since they are the ones who keep you in business.

Otherwise why so many customer loyalty programmes like

Frequent Flier
Fly Buys

etc.

I think you are confusing the marketing speak "loyalty' with the would loyal.

We all believe that we should be rewarded for our loyalty. but what is this loyalty we feel we should be rewarded for. In my mind we pay a company money, they give us a service or product. We do it for years because we want this product. It is a business transaction, nothing more. If are not happy with this product then we shop elsewhere, simple.

We are not in a position to analyze this business decision made by TCL and we can only speculate as to what discussions were had prior to this being rolled out. I could guess that they will accept a few disgruntled customers will be lost along the way in comparison to the many more acquired - this is company loyalty at it's best, it's called profit.

For the record I like flybuys - I have to buy fuel, insurance and electricity. My current suppliers provide me with points. I however don't go out and buy a more expensive product just to maintain my loyalty.

blakamin

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#463117 27-Apr-2011 18:44

TelstraClear:

Hi guys

We need to balance the need to make our products commercially viable with our desire to give our customers the best deal we can.

Consider the alternatives: EDITED for space

But why would a customer, who already has cable and a digital STB, want freeview?
I know I wouldn't.

I'm a current customer (8 years now) with net, TV, home & mobile phones.

I'd like a t-box but there is no way in hell I'd pay $300 for one when some new sign-up gets the lot for nothing!

BarTender

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#463152 27-Apr-2011 21:03

TelstraClear:

Consider the alternatives:

Most Freeview capable digital television recorders only have two tuners. You pay between $549 and $1499.99 (see http://www.freeviewnz.tv/products_and_retailers/listing/all/digital_television_recorders) You’ll get a 12 month warranty and you’ll need to check if an aerial is required to receive the UHF signal. If an aerial is required, you’re looking at another $250 or so for someone to come out and install an aerial for you.

TelstraClear T-Box with Freeview|HD has three tuners, giving you much better recording functionality. You pay either $299 or $199 upfront install cost depending on your situation plus $14.95 per month rental. You don’t require an aerial and if anything goes wrong we’ll come to you and repair the T-Box, for as long as you’re a customer of ours, whether that’s 12 months or 12 years.

So to compare apples to apples, I would like to know where the TBox enabled TV's are? They don't exist since a TBox is a STB. So lets compare STB offerings:

Trom Trademe I can pick up a Freeview PVR Set Top Box. That I can record content onto an external HDD for $129 (I don't sell these, and have no view on if the trader or gear is any good). I own it, I don't ever need to pay another cent on it unless it blows up. Since I would live in Wellington or Christchurch as that is the only areas TCL Cable exist I would most probably able to get Freeview HD on UHF using an indoor UHF aerial or perhaps install my own for ~$80 or get someone to install it for $200+. Plus you are able to access any content you record and can play it back on any device you desire and add your own content.

Compared to $200+ install and $900+ annual cost for subscription of sky basic tv + tbox I think the numbers stack up quite well for Freeview HD vs TBox. Plus if the box blows up which it has been frequently posted to do so, you have lost all your recordings. Plus you can't upload any of your own content onto the box. It's just a black box.

From Sky I can get a MySky installed for $100 at the worst but probably less depending on the deal. I get a subscriber card which is known to work in the grey market. I know the box probably won't blow up or randomly reboot otherwise I would see a lot of complaints in the Sky forum about the boxes. I have the similar problem with accessing content unless I go for a grey market box and replace the MySky. And pay the same subscription cost as I would to TCL (well perhaps a bit more to sky, but that's if I get a full bundle from TCL, which would save approx $10 per month all up.) The vodafone offering is about the same if you do the triple play.

If people are going out and buying a new TV (which they have probably already done since why else would they want to get a tbox) they have already made the 549-1499+ investment in a new TV. Said TV most probably already includes a DVB-T Freeview HD receiver in it (You would be hard pressed to find a TV which costs more than $1000 which didn't have a DVB-T built in apart from ones you buy from the warehouse). So to use the FUD of $549-1499 and "compare" it to the "value" you get from TBox just isn't comparing STB offerings.

Lets compare apples to apples.

1080p

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#463268 28-Apr-2011 10:00

Hmm, $299.00 for a set top box and $14.95 monthly rental to view Freeview|HD? I think not. Also what is with the $859.00 charge for the Freeview|HD T-Box on a standalone basis? Do you still pay the monthly fee?

Effectively TelstraClear are selling a set top box which receives and can record Freeview with a support contract. I can imagine non-tech people would sign up to such a service, but geeks? Would you buy an STB from Dick Smith (for example) with a monthly fee guaranteeing they would replace or repair it for as long as you keep paying them? Freeview is free, people...

Having a monthly rental is effectively selling an extended warranty with a computer; except it keeps on extending as long as you keep on paying. Again, stupid...

I would think a community of geeks would realise you could easily put together a simple PC capable of recording, well, as many channels as you have tuners for. Potentially a much larger hard drive too which, incidentally, you'd be able to backup if desired.

This PC would cost more (it would be possible to do something decent on a $600 budget) but it would be a one time fee. Assuming you look after your gear, it could last years.

You would also be able to do more with a PC. Think a central backup for all your home PC data, a media player fronted (XBMC etc...), a torrent/NZB downloader and archive, folding@home workhorse and anything else you could want a PC to do.

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